New to indoor container gardening? Give your greener thumb a big boost with indoor container gardening! These unusual plants come in such a wide variety of shapes, styles, and colours that you’re sure to find just the right one for your room. Read on to learn more about indoor container gardening, how to care for them, and how to improve your container garden’s productivity.
The first thing you need to do is decide what kind of plant you want to grow. Do you want a tropical plant like the Kalanchoe or a vinelike climbing vine like the Ivy? Or perhaps a hardy deciduous tree like the Leyland Cypress or the California Poppy? The kind of plant you choose depends largely on your region’s moisture needs. You’ll also need to consider any plant diseases that might be growing in your area. Once you know what plant you want, read on to learn how to start your indoor container garden.
Choose a good potting soil. It should be made from potting soil that contains potting soil additives to help it retain moisture. If you live in an area where summer temperatures are high, you will need to water more often. Use high quality potting soil and fertilize frequently to avoid diseases.
Make sure that you plant your plants together. It’s best to plant taller plants together in tall containers, like vertical stems. Larger plants, especially those with tough leaves, will dry out faster in shallow containers. If your container garden is going to have leaves, make sure that they are spaced enough apart so that the sun can reach them. Also, use larger pots for hardier plants like cactus or herbs, which can sometimes be difficult for small container gardening.
Be careful about over-watering your container gardens. Over-watering plants encourages disease, so it’s best to avoid watering them too often. Wait until your soil has absorbed the moisture it needs, rather than watering it when it’s still dry. Many indoor container gardens are designed with the purpose of allowing you to simply refill the water prior to it becoming too saturated.
Plastic containers are fine for container gardens, but make sure you drain holes in the bottom before you fill your containers. Plastic is not porous, so it won’t naturally drain itself. Instead, the weight of the soil in the containers will cause the bottom of the container to drain holes. To keep the soil in the containers, add a little bit of water to it at least once a week, or as needed. If you live in an area with drought, then use a couple of inches of gravel at the bottom of your containers.
Another problem that some novice container gardeners have is plant diseases. The root-bound and root-promoting fungi are two such fungi. You should be especially careful if you have a plant that has been infected with either one of these fungi. Remove the infected plant immediately, and its roots (if present) should be raked or removed, using a pair of scissors. Place the infected plant inside a container with some soil and cover it with another layer of soil. Wait four to six weeks for the fungus to kill the roots, then replant the plant into the original container.
Indoor container gardens can be rewarding for the gardener who is willing to work a little and who has a little bit of patience. Container gardens have the advantage of allowing you to grow your favorite vegetables or flowers where they would be difficult to grow in the traditional way, without having to wait for them to grow. You can even have seasonal plants in your garden, by putting some of them in pots during colder months and then keeping the rest of your garden’s soil moist.